Thai Roasted Peas

Most people have heard of the spicy snack that is Wasabi peas. I'm not a big fan of wasabi, but I had plain roasted peas once many many moons ago. I thought they were delicious, but I'd never seen or tasted anything that came close. Then I happened upon roasted peas from About.com in the Thai Food section.

These peas weren't the exact same ones I had over a decade ago, but they were still a tasty, crunchy snack.
I don't think I've quite got the hang of the recipe though. The first time I made these peas I used petite peas. I stuck the peas in the oven and went about my business for an hour. When my oven timer went off my nose was greeted with the stench of stinky burning. The peas were perfectly blackened and perfectly awful. I guess the petite peas need a shorter cooking time.

Since I used the last of my petite peas in the first round of this recipe, I attempted the recipe again with what I thought were larger peas. I just grabbed the cheapest, smallest bag of frozen peas I could find. While it cost less than a dollar, the peas were a wide range of sizes. At least the petite peas were uniform in size. The variety of sizes resulted in some peas that were nice and crunchy and others that were slightly chewy.

The crunchy peas were delicious. The best thing about them were that they didn't taste a thing like peas. The roasting gave them a nutty taste. The spices also had just enough heat to make my lips tingle, but not too much where my mouth was ablaze. Mrblocko wasn't impressed with the first taste, but I warned him that after he had one he would want another one. The spices make you want to come back for more.

Because the peas didn't cook evenly, after 2 days the less than crunchy peas continued to get more chewy and tasted more and more like mushy peas. This is not my idea of a tasty snack. I think if I use petite peas and watch the oven like a hawk, I won't run into the soggy pea issue.

Mrblocko didn't like the peas as much as I did, but I think once I finish tweaking this recipe, I might have to share more than I'm willing to!

Roasted peas from About.com
2 cups green peas (I used frozen) - MAKES 1+1/2 cups roasted green peas
2+1/2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending how spicy you want them)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. white pepper s)

Preheat oven to 375 and prepare a baking sheet. Thaw peas and pour off any water. Use a paper towel to gently pat them, ensuring they're as dry as possible. Place peas in a mixing bowl. Add the oil and toss to coat. Now add all the other ingredients and toss again. Spread the peas out on your prepared sheet. Gently tamp them down with the back of a large spoon to ensure they're in a single layer. Place them on the centre rack of your oven and bake for 1 hour. RThey will reduce to half their size, and should be brownish in color. Allow to cool completely before covering or storing. These peas will keep for weeks in a jar or other covered container.